True/False March Marchers dance through snow

Robert Shatlain, front left, dressed as First Officer Shamus McMagnus, leads the Airship Vindus crew through the True/False Film Fest March March parade Friday.
|Peter Marek

Josh Oxenhandler and Gary Merriman's robot costumes sit in the snow while they wait for the True/False Film Fest March March parade to begin on Friday on Walnut Street.
|Peter Marek

Roger Giles waits in front of the court house for the True/False Film Fest March March parade to begin on Friday.
|Peter Marek

People gather in front of the Boone County Courthouse for the True/False Film Fest March March parade Friday evening.
|Roxana Pop

Gill Schimdt, left, and the granddaughter of Mary Colquhoun, right, march during the True/False Film Fest March March parade on the Ninth Street on Friday. This is their fourth year participating in the parade.
|Roxana Pop

Sharon Lanza, left, Vanessa Valliere, middle, and Meghan Strell from the Mucca Pazza marching band perform during the March March parade on Friday evening on Ninth Street. Mucca Pazza is a rock 'n' roll marching band based in Chicago that came to Columbia for the March March parade.
|Roxana Pop

Matthew Baughman spins fire with the Burn Circus at the True/False Film Fest March March parade on Friday.
|Peter Marek

Elizabeth Laubach, left, plays the flute during the True/False Film Fest March March parade next to Joshua Hulen on Friday on Ninth Street.
|Roxana Pop

Mizzou Drumline members Ben Menke (left) Jonathon Shipman (center) and Chris Offenburger (right) cap off the end of the True/False Film Fest March March parade in front of the Missouri Theater on Friday.
|Peter Marek

Q queen, Carolyn Magnuson, stands outside the Boone County Courthouse before the start of the True/False Film Fest March March parade Friday.
|Peter Marek

Participants, many of them dressed up in costumes, marched in the annual True/False Film Fest March March parade Friday in downtown Columbia.¦Peter Marek, Roxana Pop, Sarah Ng

COLUMBIA — Not even the recent snowstorms could dampen the enthusiasm of the 2013 True/False Film Fest's March March.

More than 100 people dressed in costumes ranging from simple masks to full-body ensembles as they marcheddown Ninth Street from Boone County Courthouse Square outside Shakespeare's Pizza Friday afternoon.

A cast of queen bees dressed in homemade black and red costumes complete with batons and beehive hats didn't worry that the parade would be canceled. One of the queen bees, Elizabeth Bergman, has been a part of the festival since its beginning in 2004 and remembers the parade going on even after hearing a tornado warning.

"We did it in the rain two years ago," Bergman said. "The lights went off in Ragtag (Cinema), the (tornado warning) siren sounded and then we came outside and had the parade."

Bergman and her fellow queen bees, including Ann Breidenbach and Jacquelyn Sandone, declined to refer to themselves as volunteers and instead used the word "enthusiasts."

Other marchers donned gorilla and Mario suits, and two men dressed in full robot costumes. One of the robots, Gary Merriman, has dressed for previous marches as a cow and a giant Elmo.

Alongside fellow robot and brother-in-law Josh Oxenhandler, Merriman said this year was special.

"It's the 10-year anniversary and it gets bigger every year. And even despite the snow, I still see a lot of people,"Merriman said.

Joshua Hulenacted as parade co-coordinator for the third consecutive year. His business card reads "Purveyor of Crazy Fun!" He directed the rest of the participants through the parade and he also helped lead the "block party," the new tradition of an all-out dance party at the end.

When the parade stopped outside Shakespeare's, instruments including drums, trumpets and saxophones began blasting music as cheerleaders and the other costumed participants danced in the streets.

The addition of the block party was meant to provide a grand finale to the revelry of the parade. Hulen said this is just one more way the parade signals the beginning of the festival's celebration.

"It's everybody coming together and having a good time," Hulen said. "It's an official kick-off to a big party."